Dear Reader:

As I mentioned yesterday…I cherish the time I have with one grandchild alone because I can finally talk to each one without interruptions. I get to listen to their hopes, dreams, and disappointments.

They tell me things they wouldn’t admit to their parents about feelings of inadequacy (in certain areas of life) or what makes them anxious or feel out of sync…perhaps a “little broken.”

And then we know why God made grandparents. We intuitively realize it is up to us to keep reassuring them that they are perfect just the way they are…with all their strengths and weaknesses. We must drive home the essential thought that no one…absolutely no one is perfect who lives on this earth.

Everyone is better at some things than others…and God made us this way for a reason…so no two of us would ever be just alike. God tells us we are perfect (and precious) in His Eyes just the way we are. His love is unconditional. Nothing we can do will make Him stop loving us. The power of grace.

And nothing they can do will ever make Boo Boo stop loving them.

After talks like these…you can feel the relief draining from their little faces and even their little bodies…everyone needs to be reminded (throughout intervals of life) that we are loved…no matter the mistakes…we are loved.

I discovered a thought-provoking perception on the realization that a “little broken” as seen through the eyes of the well-loved “depressed” Eeyore… can actually be a good thing.

“A Pessimist’s Guide to a Beautiful Life”

Thai Nguyer

  ( Image Credit: (Culther.com)

“I’m a recovering pessimist. A perennial one. I know it’s a striking confession given the nature of my site. But in a paradoxical way, pessimism’s been great fuel for personal growth. Pitiful dwellings on life’s miseries launch me into striving for the best possible world.

Perhaps the greatest of pessimists: Eeyore. The thistle eating donkey from A. A. Milne’s Winnie the Pooh.

There’s something poignantly oxymoronic about Eeyore — that such laughter and joy can come from a gloomy character.

In the same way being poor teaches us to appreciate wealth, having our hearts broken teaches us to love faithfully, struggle and failure magnifies our victories — Eeyore’s melancholy in a subtle way highlights the joys in life.”

(*I read through some of the author’s favorite quotes from Eeyore and chose three to share with you…along with the writer’s commentary.)

 “Thanks for noticing me.”

It’s what we all want. Beyond our physical needs, the existential cry for acknowledgment underlies everything we do.

To be noticed, to be love, to be validated.

One of Eeyore’s favorite lines highlights the power in simply acknowledging someone’s presence. Appreciating the uniqueness of their character, the serendipity that allows friends to share the same space and time. Every relationship is made up of chance occurrences which deserve some marveling.

And when silence is no longer awkward in any relationship — it’s a beautiful experience of “noticing” one another that should be celebrated.

 “A tail isn’t a tail to them, it’s just a little bit extra at the back.”

“Not everyone will understand you, and that’s okay. We celebrate freedom of speech, but often get bent out of shape when someone expresses an opposing view.

Just like you can take a horse to water but not make it drink, there’s no point going blue in the face telling someone it’s a tail if all they see is “extra at the back.””

 “We can’t all, and some of us don’t. That’s all there is to it.”

“Can’t all what?” said Pooh, rubbing his nose.

“Gaiety. Song-and-dance. Here we go round the mulberry bush.”

“It’s like being an introvert in a culture that preaches extroversion. Thankfully there’s more balance nowadays with introversion seen less as an issue to fix and more of a celebration.

But with any majority view or “cultural norm,” there’s a always the temptation to feel as though there’s something wrong with you if you don’t fit into the neat cookie cutter.

Simple, yet profound words from Eeyore: “We can’t all, and some of us don’t.” There’s beauty in being different. Cookie cutters are meant for cookies, not life.”

So until tomorrow…

“Today is my favorite day”  Winnie the Pooh

*In response to our child’s version of who we wanted to be when we grew up and our adult life now….Heard back from a couple of you.

Cindy Ashley: Wanted to be a dietitian in the eighth grade…She remembered even writing an essay on  the topic. Instead Cindy became a wonderful teacher and administrator who became an expert at nourishing the mind and body…providing the nutrition needed to pave the path for life-time learners.

Patty Knight: Patty is one of those fortunate people who intuitively knew (even as a child/youth) that she wanted to be a teacher above everything else. And what a teacher she was in the classroom and is now… as a wondrous teacher to her grandchildren.

Happiness is:

A knock at the door and Luke and Chelsey arrived yesterday with the first eggs from their chickens and “Little Red” …a clone of “Big Red.” So beautiful….I just hope “Little Red” will continue to grow with me now as the sole care-giver… and “Big Red” will continue to hang in there…time will tell how it all shakes out.